Box-fastener



(No Model.)

W. N. BARR.

BOX FASTENBR.

No. 386,912. Patented July 31, 1 888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM N. BARR, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,912, dated July 31, 1888.

Application filed January 27, 1888. Serial No. 262,160. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. BARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of boxfasteners which are intended to temporarily secure the lids or covers upon boxes; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive lid-fastener, which may be readily attached to egg-carriers, to fruit-crates, and to wooden boxes used for various purposes.

To this end myinvention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a box-fastener, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure I represents my box'fastener. Fig. II represents a modification of the same. Fig. III is an end view of a box with my fastener in service. Fig. IV represents a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the same box and fastener. Fig. V is a plan view of a portion of a lid-cleat without thelid top, and Fig. VI shows a modification of the complete invention.

6 represents the fastener, consisting of a wire bent in the form of a bail, with outwardprojecting ears 7, as in Fig. I, or with inwardprojecting ears 8, as in Fig. II.

18 represents a wooden box, and 9 aremovable lid therefore. The lid is stayed against splitting by a cleat, 10, nailed across each end of it. In the upper edge of this cleat is a groove, 11, made deep enough to receive the ears of the fastener, and vertically across the outer face of the cleat are two grooves, 12, made deep enough to intersect the groove 11 to receive the side bars of the fastener.

13 represents a cleat secured to each end of the box in position to come directly under the lid-cleats 10. Each cleat 13 is grooved vertically across its face at- 14. to register with the grooves 12 in the lid-cleats and to receive the fastener.

The fasteners 6 are made of uniform size, and the grooves are cut in the cleats to correspond therewith, so that in making up the boxes the ears of the fastener are to be hung in the groove 11 in cleat 10, the cover placed over it and nailed to the cleat, thus securing the fasteners so that they cannot be removed from the lid.

In service the lid is first to be placed upon the box, while the fasteners hanging by their ears are swung outward to pass over the cleat 13. Then the lid is to be slid across the box until the vertical grooves in the two cleats register with each other. Then the fastener is to be pressed down into the cleat 13, with the cross-bar of the fastener beneath the cleat. By this means the lid is fastened against re moval from the box and against sliding across it.

It is not material to thisinvention that either of the cleats should extend entirely across the box. The length of the cleats is a matter of judgment; but in an extreme case they should be at least as long as theinterior width of the fasteners, as shown in Fig. VI, in order that they may hold the lid against slipping crosswise on the box. In that case the modification of the fastener shown in Fig. II is necessary to adapt it to be held by the short cleat 10. I do not suppose this bail-shaped fastener to be new of itself, nor that the general principle of its operation is new.

It being common to make all parts of boxes at factories and secure them in bundles to be compactly shipped for the receiver to nail to gether, my cleats grooved in their upper edges and cover-tops adapted to be nailed thereon and grooves in the outer faces of the cleats to meet the edge-grooves would become an artiole of manufacture and show the characteris tics of this invention, because they would combine to form a box-cover adapted to receive my bail-fasteners described, or other wire fasteners having similar ears to hang in the edgegroove and provided with common hooks to hook beneath the box-cleat.

Having fully described my inventiomwhat I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:

l. The combination of abox-lid having crosscleats grooved in their upper edges beneath the lid-top and grooved vertically across their outer faces, a box having cleats grooved vertically across their outer faces to register with the corresponding grooves in the said lideleats, and bail-shaped fasteners adapted to fit the said vertical grooves, and hung in the grooves in the edge ofthelid-eleats and secured therein by the lid being fastened upon thelidcleats, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a box-fastener, the cleats grooved in their upper edges and in their outer faces adapted to receive bail-shaped wire fasteners and a lid-top adapted to be secured upon the upper edges of the said cleats and to cover the grooves therein, substantially as shown and r 5 described, whereby wire bails may be secured in the said grooves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. BARR.

WVitnesses:

P. J. BOWLING, E. J. MANN. 

